


Living Arrangements

by Anonymous



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Cannoli Kylux, Clones, Domestic Kylux, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Flashbacks, Flippant discussion of murder for comedic effect, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Harems, Id Fic, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Kylux Adjacents, M/M, Married Kylux, Masturbation, Murdery space husbands, No non-con between tagged pairings, Open Relationships, Other Additional Pairings to be Added, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape Recovery, Recovery, Referenced eye trauma, Self-Indulgent, Slavery, TROS never happened you can't change my mind, The fourth wall is dead long live the fourth wall, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:02:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24479167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: When his knights come back from a raid with a slave who looks identical to Hux, Kylo's first thought definitely isn't "We should start up our own harem of Hux clones", but that's what it eventually becomes.Mostly fluff and (in later chapters) smut, written for purely self-indulgent purposes; haven't decided whether this is going to have an overarching plot or just be a series of vignettes.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Caleb/Clan Techie (Dredd), Clan Techie (Dredd)/Armitage Hux, Clan Techie (Dredd)/Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren, Clan Techie (Dredd)/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

_Master_.

Trudgen's thoughts cut into his meditation like an empty holofeed channel crackling into life, static replaced with sound. Kylo responded without opening his eyes, although he was already gearing himself up to grab his lightsaber and move. His knights weren't in the habit of interrupting him for spurious reasons.

But the image he received in response to his mental question was nothing he'd expected.

A young man, dressed in a distinctive metal collar and not much else, with red-ringed eyes and the word MALE tattooed in Aurebesh on his forehead, quivering in the corner of some dank, anonymous room. Kylo's eyebrows cinched with confusion - until the slave looked up.

Kylo sprang to his feet. Had the doors to the living room not slid open at his approach, he would probably have torn them apart in his rush to get past. His lightsaber was in hand, and he was already planning his route to the shuttle bay and exactly how he was going to kill anyone who decided to step into his path on the way there, but no - there was Hux's greatcoat, hung fastidiously over the back of his desk chair where it hasn't been before. A flashing notification on Kylo's datapad indicated one unread message from the Grand Marshal, presumably telling Ren he had returned from his most recent mission. And, most reassuring of all, a voice filtered in from their shared bedroom as the Supreme Leader's breathing returned to its usual, non-murderously-enraged state.

"Are you done, Kylo? Millicent's already been fed, so don't let her talk you into a second dinner."

"One second," Ren called. He concentrated, found Trudgen once more in the Force.

_Is this some kind of joke?_

_No_ , came Trudgen's near-instant reply. (Contrary to what most people assumed, the Knights of Ren did have a sense of humour. It just involved a lot more disembowelment than average.) Another image followed: a freighter, floating in space, with the Knights' exhaust-spewing clunker docked to its flank. A cargo bay full of huddling slaves. A captain who'd made the unfortunate decision to stray too close to First Order territory.

Getting the Knights to chase down pirates and slavers hadn't felt like the most intuitive decision, when Hux first suggested it. But as Kylo regarded the captain's charred remains through Trudgen's eyes, he reflected once more on how great it had been for PR. Turns out dictatorship was pretty easy if you just murdered the right people every once in a while.

This, though? This was something new. Usually they just got the liberated slaves to do a holo-interview about how great the First Order was for saving them and then shunted them into basic training. But putting a traumatized duplicate of Grand Marshal Hux in front of a live propaganda feed didn't seem like the wisest decision. Kylo decided to take further advisement.

"Hux," he called, cautiously. "This is going to be a weird question, but... did your father ever mention anything about you having a twin?"

* * *

"He's not your twin," the doctor told Hux, as Kylo watched the operating room through the one-way mirror. "Genetically identical, yes, but telomere dating puts him at about six or seven years younger. What you're looking at is probably a clone."

Hux gave a brisk nod, then frowned over Kylo's shoulder at the scene before them. "What are they doing?"

The doctor cleared her throat. "Removing the eye enhancements. Both sockets were dangerously infected, probably the result of cheap materials and substandard maintenance. We've got a couple of temporary replacements lined up, if you still want to go ahead with that?"

There followed a brief discussion with the doctor about how difficult it might be to install replacements at a later date if they decided to leave them out, and how expensive these replacements _were_ exactly, and so on. Kylo was only half listening. Now that the slave had been cleaned up, the resemblance to Hux was even more uncanny - with the exception of his long hair, which had presumably been tied back when Trudgen first discovered him, and the obvious malnourishment on his sharp-boned frame.

The clone would have been created within a year of Hux's escape from Arkanis, but the reasons for his creation - and the events of the intervening years - remained a mystery. Ren didn't say anything until the doctor had left, probably to relay to the surgeons that yes, the clone would be keeping his eyesight for now, but if the smallest detail of his existence got out they'd all be executed, obviously.

"Did you know?" he asked the Grand Marshal, who was now pacing back and forth with his hands clasped tight behind his back.

"Of course not. Do you think I'd have allowed an exact copy of me to be chained up in some kriff-awful alien brothel for two decades?" Hux moved to Kylo's side, peering into the theatre. "Why would my father have me cloned? He didn't even _like_ me."

"Huh." Kylo worked his jaw subtly, thinking. "Hux. Were you a tissue match for your father?"

"If my father wanted a spare stock of organs, he would have cloned himself. Or just used cybernetics, like a normal person," Hux spat. "How cheap do you have to be to grow a living donor - and at a natural rate, no less! What would he have done, anyway - send a bunch of cheek swabs to some backwater lab, or something?"

That did sound like exactly the kind of thing Brendol Hux would have done, but Ren wasn't going to press the issue. "Maybe it wasn't your father."

"At this point, I can't begin to speculate. What are we going to do with him?"

"What do you mean, 'we'? He's _your_ clone."

"Don't be cute, it doesn't suit you," Hux retorted, but he still allowed Kylo to wrap an arm loosely around his waist. They tended away from physical displays of affection outside of their quarters, but Ren figured that Hux needed a little comfort right now. Besides, if anyone came in, he could just kill them. It wouldn't be the first time.

"We can't let him just wander around."

"Then don't," Kylo said. "Put him someplace secure. I'll question him. Who knows? If this isn't some weirdly convoluted assassination plan, he could come in useful."

* * *

The second most secure place in the entire First Order was Hux and Ren's private suite on the Finalizer. This was for two reasons:

1) It had once been Snoke's suite, and Snoke was paranoid as fuck.

2) Neither of them wanted their relationship to be common knowledge, and so they maintained the pretense that they simply lived in adjacent quarters so they could have convenient strategy meetings whenever they liked. Virtually nobody was fooled by this.

(The first most secure place in the entire First Order was so secure that it cannot be mentioned in this fanfic.)

It was for these reasons that Supreme Leader Kylo Ren found himself making arrangements for the clone to be detained in what Hux called "the guest room" and what Kylo called "the room where we found like a million pairs of those weird gold slippers Snoke wore".

On those rare occasions that the two found someone who was still up for a threesome despite the inevitability of being threatened into silence afterwards, Hux usually had them sleep over, so they could be dismissed at some innocuous point in the daytime and blend in with the shift-change crowd as they left. Almost invariably, they ended up in the guest bed. Kylo tended to spread out while he slept, sidelining his poor companions no matter how large the mattress was. Hux could deal with it, but few others could. So they'd re-modeled Snoke's walk-in slipper-closet into a small but comfortable bedroom, and it was here that the clone now slept, white sheet swathed around him, red hair splayed out on the pillow.

Kylo had installed himself on the chair in the corner, and scrolled through various reports until the clone woke up.

He was still in his hospital gown, and the first sign of consciousness was one skinny hand tugging curiously at the fabric. Then his eyes opened to reveal the entirely black sclera of the new artificial implants, and he turned his head from side to side, growing from puzzled to alarmed as he took in the room and its one other occupant. Kylo reached out with the Force to sense his thoughts, but there was nothing he couldn't already tell from the young man's expression; unlike Hux, the clone's face was an open book.

On skinny, unsteady arms, he lifted himself into a sitting position and looked at Kylo, then down at the bed in front of him.

Nobody said anything for a couple of moments. Kylo sensed fearful expectation, and realized that the clone was waiting for permission to speak.

"What do they call you?" he asked.

"Techie, sir."

Kylo put the datapad down and stood up, prompting another spike of fear, which was understandable. Even without the mask, he made an intimidating sight. "Techie," he repeated. "Where do you come from, Techie?"

The clone seemed confused by this question. "I - don't know. I'm sorry - sir - do you mean who owned me last, or-?"

"I mean where were you _born._ "

Sad understanding dawned in Techie's eyes. "I'm sorry, sir. Nobody ever told me."

Kylo considered where to go from here. Diving right in to Techie's mind would probably scare the crap out of him - which didn't necessarily exclude it as an option, but Hux had asked him to try and avoid that - while jumping straight to "guess what, you're a clone", though efficient, might just be too much for the former slave to handle. For all he knew, Techie had no idea. He decided to try a softer approach. "What's the first thing you remember?"

Techie's incomprehension was palpable even without the Force. He frowned. "Uh... Persico. I was being trained as a slicer. My owner was called Ma-Ma."

Persico. That was in the Unknown Regions. You could barely track a Star Destroyer through there, let alone one slave, and while he could sense Techie wasn't lying. Kylo was still getting next to nothing from this whole enterprise. "Do you remember your parents? Any family?"

Techie shook his head. His mouth opened, then shut, as if he was debating whether to ask something. "Are you a doctor?" he said finally.

Kylo raised his eyebrows. "Do I _look_ like a doctor?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously?" Those must have been some terrifying-ass doctors.

Techie's shoulders hunched a little. "I'm sorry. Please don't - I didn't mean - sir, did I say something wrong?"

Kylo didn't bother addressing that. "I'm not a doctor. You're on a First Order Star Destroyer."

"Is..." Techie gave Kylo the slightest hint of side-eye. "Is this the Empire?"

"The Empire? Really? Is Wild space like six decades behind or something?" Fuck it. Kylo was getting nowhere. He directed a yell toward the doors. "Hux!"

Hux entered moments later, looking annoyed yet unsurprised at Kylo's summons (he'd made several comments earlier about Ren being unable to interrogate his way out of a chip packet once torture was off the menu). But before either of them could speak. Techie shot up straight and called out to him.

" _Caleb_?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author takes no responsibility for any feels-induced emotional whiplash incurred as a result of reading this chapter.

"So," Kylo said conversationally. "You have _two_ clones."

"I'm a clone?" squeaked Techie quietly.

Hux shot Ren a warning look. "Kylo. You're scaring him." Oh, that was _rich_ coming from the guy who literally wanted people to call him 'The Starkiller'. The Grand Marshal sat down on the end of the bed, ignoring Kylo's amused look, and composed his face into something less annoyed. "I'm afraid I don't know any 'Caleb'. But perhaps you could tell me a little more about him."

"I haven't seen him for... over ten years, maybe." Techie's voice was a little scratchy. "After Ma-Ma's clan got taken over, the new guys already had their own slicer so, um, once they got bored of me, they sold me." Ren couldn't help but wince at the implications of that. "Caleb was the only other human guy at the brothel. Everyone said we could be b...brothers, but I didn't know if that was just because we were the same species and had roughly the same hair colour."

"But he looked like me, yes? Same face?" Hux asked, possibly restraining himself from asking exactly how Techie hadn't noticed that he and Caleb were identical.

"I don't know about faces. I've never... I don't really remember faces. But the way you move around, and your hair... I thought maybe you were covering the freckles with, with makeup or something."

"He has prosopagnosia," Kylo murmured in realization. Then, to Hux, "It's a neurological variation, causes an inability to process and recall faces easily-"

"I know what it means, Ren," Hux snapped. "And I'm assuming that if neither of them twigged the similarities, this _Caleb_ has it too."

"I don't know anything about that," Techie put in timidly. "Um, but I have some, some questions... if... that's alright?"

 _No shit,_ thought Kylo.

Techie's biggest concern, as it turned out, was not his status as a clone or the fact that the Empire no longer existed, but rather whether Kylo and Hux were his new owners. The emergency medical team who'd met he and his fellow captives in the hangar bay had presumably made this clear already, but it was either taking a while to sink in or he had been too starved and terrified at the time to register anything he was told.

Hux clarified that no, he had been granted asylum with the First Order and would, pending the correct paperwork, soon become a full citizen, and this was _completely_ different from being a slave, no matter what the galaxy-wide media might claim.

Techie seemed to have trouble comprehending this because his next question was "am I allowed to use the fresher?"

Once that was over and done with, further conversation revealed that - after the initial shock had worn off - he wasn't too bothered by the fact he was genetically identical to Hux. Nothing he had to say could shed any light on why this was or what his origins were. He did, however, ask why his eyes felt different, and seemed pleasantly surprised to hear that he'd been given replacements.

Kylo and Hux withdrew to convene in the living room.

"I want to examine his memories," Kylo said, as soon as they were alone. "He may have noticed something he isn't aware of."

"You want to examine the memories of a traumatized sex slave," Hux replied, slowly.

"Hux. Are you _worried_ for me?"

"No," lied the Grand Marshal. "I'm just not sure it'll lead to anything useful."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Kylo moved to leave, but Hux stopped him.

"What do we do after this? Where do we _put_ him? We can't keep him in the guest room forever."

The Supreme Leader ran though the possibilities in his head. "I guess it depends on how useful he is, and what he knows. We could always detain him somewhere out-of-the way until we need him for something."

"Maybe," Hux replied, with an unusual uncertainty. "Don't... scare him too much, will you?"

"I won't. I promise."

* * *

"Will it hurt?"

"Only if you resist me." Kylo was sitting opposite him on the bed. Techie was cross-legged and chewing on a piece of his hair, which Ren found strangely endearing, and also weird, because it was something Hux would never do. He was cute, in a gangly sort of way - once he got some proper nutrition in him, Kylo had no doubt that he would be nearly as attractive as the Grand Marshal was. But _that_ thought was a whole can of worms waiting to burst open, so Kylo put it out of his head.

"I won't be any trouble," the young man promised. "Really. You don't have to hurt me, I'll give you anything you want."

Kylo couldn't speak for a moment. Then he sighed.

"Maybe lie down and try to relax. It's the best way to make sure your mind is open to me."

Techie obeyed, and closed his eyes. They whirred subtly. Kylo focused himself, and reached out.

* * *

He saw a crumbling, sprawling city, and rocky wasteland beyond. He felt the slap of a woman's hand on his cheek, and the tremble of his fingers as they pit-patted across the keys of a rusted console. Copper wire twisted into crude animal forms. Hundreds of faces, none of them recognizable or even remotely clear; trying to focus on one was like trying to catch steam.

He rarely saw the sky, and there was never enough food, and he slept in a dark alcove of hanging wires and distant, terrifying noises - shouting, screaming, blaster fire.

Abruptly, someone was holding him down. No - more than one person, and there was a searing agony of pressure in his eye sockets. "...get my money's worth out of you," a female voice was snarling. Waking up, itchy-eyed, and a grating feeling every time he shifted his gaze. The world lost some of its colour, but gained other things; close magnification, object recognition, something that looked like it might have been a heat sensor.

Meaningless information bulleted past at breakneck speed, mostly technical. There was so much that Kylo couldn't differentiate anything useful, but nothing seemed to stand out in particular. Then - more blaster fire. Closer, this time. Someone dragging him out of hiding by the scruff, and the terrible laughter of men. And pain.

Kylo almost lost the connection, then. He was aware of rape as a concept - had even known a few survivors - but to see it through the eyes of someone who had experienced it was a different thing entirely. He dragged himself out of that particular trauma and, with difficulty, carried on.

The brothel: Scented oils, smoke and sweat and sex. Ragged red fabric covering the windows. More pain. And then, finally, the name he was looking for: Caleb. The boy did indeed have the same gait and posture as Hux, and his hair, though a shade or two lighter, was almost identically styled. It was a struggle to hold on to him at first, because his face blurred into all the others, but finally a pattern of recognition formed in Techie's mind, and Kylo zeroed in on it, seeking out any conversation that might provide a clue to his identity.

"...born off-planet but I don't remember it," Caleb was saying, then, "...some lab or other in the Outer Rim but it just sounds like bullshit to me," then, "I love you, Techie."

"I love you too," Techie whispered, with his arms around Caleb. The warmth of his body sheltered Techie in his dreams for a few months, and then he was just... gone. Privately purchased by a client. Techie never even had the chance to say goodbye.

* * *

Kylo broke off. His eyes were damp, and he wiped them with the heel of his palm, but Techie likely didn't notice, because he was weeping outright, lower lip pinched between his teeth as his whole body quivered with sobs.

"I'm sorry," Kylo found himself saying. "It's over now. It's over."

"It's okay," Techie managed. "I'm s-s-sorry too."

Kylo lingered there for a moment, debating internally. Finally, he gave in. "Do you... want a hug?"

"Yeah," sobbed Techie. So they did.

* * *

"I want to keep him," Kylo said, once he was done relating his findings to Hux.

"He's not a _pet_ , Ren." The Grand Marshal was tapping away at his datapad, sending information requests on trade routes close to Persico.

"I know he's not a pet. I mean like a, a roommate. He needs someone to look after him."

Hux set the datapad down loudly. "You have an entire interplanetary state to run. You don't have _time_."

"I'll get droids. And... Mitaka. He does anything you tell him and he's _never_ going to squeal."

"Absolutely not. I am not bringing anyone else into this situation who does not already know. The information security risk is already too high."

"Give me a week," Kylo pressed. "Come on. Just... just give him some time to recover."

Hux glared at him.

"You're lucky you've got such a huge cock," he murmured, which was Hux for 'I love you but you're an ass'. "Fine. One week, but no Mitaka."

"Thank you," Kylo said, which was Kylo for 'I love you too'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if I've missed any tags!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I genuinely didn't expect so much kudos for what is essentially a big ol' Id Fic! Please do feel free to leave comments if you're enjoying it - I'd love to know what you think!
> 
> Specific content warnings for this chapter in the notes at the end.

Techie could still feel those men's hands on him when Kylo left the room, but the hug had helped.

Sniffing, he wiped his eyes and took stock.

He'd always known that some people were free and some people were slaves. It was just how the world was. And yet the idea that he could somehow transition from one state to the other was inconceivable. One moment he'd been in transit to an unnamed buyer; the next, a crowd of terrifying creatures in black had stormed the ship and one was staring at him like it wanted to eat him. (He'd later learn that the creature's name was Trudgen, and that Trudgen wasn't in the habit of eating sentient beings unless it was for a bet and he was very drunk).

Techie had just assumed that these were his new owners now. Swallowing back his fear, he'd done his best to ingratiate himself with them, stripping down and offering himself to the ones named Vicrul and Kuruk - whose hands had lingered tellingly as they searched his scant clothing for weapons - but the two creatures had just told him to get dressed and go sit with the others.

He wondered whether he'd have to do the same thing with Kylo and Hux at some point. This place seemed pretty high-tech, so maybe they'd just want him to do maintenance or technical work instead, but if it came down to it, sleeping with one or both of them probably wouldn't be so bad. Kylo, though huge and intimidating, had held him so softly, and maybe he could pretend that Hux was Caleb.

The two of them seemed nice, in a bickering, asshole-y kind of way, and the room they'd put him in was cleaner than any place Techie had ever seen. The sheets smelt fresh where they should have smelt like stale sweat, and when he first came aboard the Finalizer, there had been doctors with kind and gentle voices, which did absolutely not correlate with Techie's previous experience of doctors. Perhaps this was all just a bizarre and wonderful dream.

He wrapped the white blanket around himself, pensive and anxious. It would be foolish, he thought, to allow himself to hope that things would be better now. But maybe he could enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

"What are you doing with Millicent?"

At the sharp tone in Hux's voice, Techie almost allowed the struggling creature to drop from his arms. Then the man snapped, "Put her down! She hates being held," and Techie did, confused and stinging from where it (she?) had scratched her.

They'd brought him into the dining room and told him to stay where he was while Hux fetched some dinner. Kylo was ostensibly supposed to be keeping him out of trouble, but right now, all he was doing was watching and smirking. Techie hadn't even known he was doing anything wrong.

"I thought - I didn't want it to get away," he stuttered. "I thought you'd be happy that I'd caught it. I wasn't going to steal it, I promise! I don't really like meat anyway-"

"We are _not_ ," Hux snapped, " _eating_ my _cat_." He set the boxes he was carrying down onto the table. "We don't catch and consume wandering animals in the First Order. We get our meat from supply stations and factory farms, like civilized people. Millicent is a member of this household. If you ever attempt to harm her again, I will not hesitate to push you out of the nearest airlock."

"Be nice, Hux," murmured Kylo. Then, to Techie: "He's not gonna kill you. You didn't know any better. Just don't do it again."

Millicent had retreated to behind the sofa, and as Kylo set the table, Hux moved to try and placate her, muttering things like "poor baby" and "good girl". Techie stared at him until Kylo said, "They never had pets where you're from?"

"Not ones you could eat," murmured Techie (quietly, because he had the feeling that Hux wouldn't tolerate any mention of that).

"Trudgen would probably say you can eat anything if you're determined enough." Kylo pulled his chair out and sat down. "Just think of Millicent as a housemate. She stays here, like you."

"So she's like... a slave?"

"A pet. Not a slave," said Kylo as Hux returned and took a place at the table. "Slaves work and don't get anything in return. Millicent lays around all day and gets fed. Sit down and eat something."

Techie obeyed, staring at the array of food as he did. The scent made his stomach rumble, although he didn't recognize a lot of what was there. He hesitated as the two other men served themselves, eventually settling on what looked like a plate of protein blocks. Those were familiar, at least, and after a little while he felt brave enough to eat some of the leaves in the bowl.

When his rational mind eventually overtook his hunger again, he froze mid-chew and swallowed, the mouthful turning to ice as it slid down. "How... how much am I allowed?" he managed. Hux and Kylo stared at him.

"You probably shouldn't eat too much. In fact, we should have measured out a serving for you," Hux conceded, in a strangely gentle voice. "They gave you some of that fast-acting parenteral nutrition stuff in medbay, but I expect your stomach can't cope with a lot right now. None of it's too rich, though, so just go slow and stop when you don't feel hungry any more."

Techie took another tentative bite. It was the nicest protein block he'd ever eaten.

After dinner, Hux had the droid clean up while Kylo left to "do some training". Techie stood up and rubbed his elbow awkwardly, waiting to be told what to do. Then Hux said, "Right. I'm going to bed-" and Techie obediently started untying his hospital gown. This, at least, was familiar territory. But when he looked up again, Hux was gawping at him.

"I think you've misunderstood," he said, drawing out each word as if trying to make himself understood to someone who didn't speak Basic.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Techie pulled the gown shut again, going red. "I- I- thought you meant- should I go to Kylo's bed instead and wait for him?"

Hux pinched the bridge of his nose. For some reason that Techie couldn't fathom, he seemed almost sad.

"First," he told him, "Kylo and I _share_ a bed. Second, you-" He gestured vaguely. "You don't have to do that. You're not our slave."

Techie bit his lip. This was all going so wrong. "I really am sorry, sir - Hux, I... don't understand the rules here. I didn't mean to break one. I just don't know what you expect from me. What am I supposed to do?" It terrified him to speak out like this, but the prospect of what might happen if he couldn't explain himself frightened Techie more. He hunched his shoulders, bracing himself for some kind of admonition or punishment, but instead, Hux just sighed.

"Right now, you're not expected to do anything but rest," he said firmly. "We can deal with everything else later. We aren't keeping you here to warm our bed, Techie - we're doing it because if it becomes common knowledge that I have a clone, both you and I will be at risk.

"I'll get you some databooks to help keep you occupied. And I hope it goes without saying that nobody else has the right to impose themselves on you sexually. Not myself, not the Supreme Leader - _nobody_."

He seemed embarrassed - Techie couldn't work out why - and moved to leave, but stopped himself mid-turn. "I'll fetch you some clothes, as well. The doctor will be checking in on you tomorrow morning, but there's no reason you should have to stay in that gown. It can't be comfortable. Go and wait in your room. I'll have a droid bring something in."

"Okay," said Techie quietly. "Um- just one more question-"

Hux looked at him expectantly. Techie went on.

"When you say the Supreme Leader... do you mean Kylo?"

"Ah," said Hux. "Yes, he should probably have gone over that with you." He paused again. "I'll bring you some holovids."

Techie returned to his bedroom, chewing his hair in thoughtful silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains:  
> 1) brief mentions of cannibalism for comedic effect. To avoid, stop reading at "and one was staring at him", and resume at "Techie had just assumed". Stop reading at "tolerate any mention of that" and resume at "Kylo pulled his chair out and sat down".  
> 2) a scene where Techie mistakes Millicent for wandering vermin and attempts to catch her so he can offer her to Hux and Kylo as food. To avoid, stop reading at "he could enjoy it while it lasted" and resume at "Just think of Millicent as a housemate".  
> 3) consistent but non-graphic references to Techie's history of sexual exploitation


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific content warning for Kylo vomiting in this chapter. Brief and non-graphic, takes place in the paragraph that begins "Kylo had his lips" and ends "cat bed".
> 
> The same paragraph references a flashback during consensual oral sex which includes choking, but no details.
> 
> Also, obviously, any discussions of recovery from sexual trauma are meant to act as a reflection of the characters' viewpoints rather than an example of healthy coping mechanisms.

Hux was in bed when Kylo returned. He'd thought about dropping in on Techie again, but decided in the end to give him some space, and crawled in alongside the Grand Marshal instead, arm hooking around the slimmer man's waist. Hux rolled over to nuzzle his neck.

"Tired?" he asked Kylo, with a hopeful purr in his voice. Kylo, still worked up from training and eager to make the most of it, responded by moving over Hux's body and kissing a stretch of his throat.

They didn't have so much time to enjoy each other these days. Leading an interplanetary empire was a lot like being a parent, except you had a billion more children and you could order them to kill people without getting worried looks at the local playgroup. Every day made new demands on Hux and Kylo's personal resources, and on the rare occasions they both had enough energy left to make love (a phrase which Hux would never, ever use), they took full advantage of the opportunity. Kylo wasted no time in easing Hux's waistband down over his narrow hips and worshipping the flesh revealed there. Hux curled his hand into Kylo's hair.

Kylo had his lips halfway down Hux's cock when it happened. A sudden memory, not his own but every bit as real and invasive and _choking_ , and he could do nothing but scramble away to vomit into the nearest appropriate container, which happened to be Millicent's cat bed.

"What the _fuck_ , Kylo?" he heard Hux splutter. Kylo couldn't answer. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting off the sensation of being violated. After a few moments, he felt a slim, careful hand on his shoulder.

"Kylo. Should I call medbay?"

"No," Kylo croaked. "I'll be okay." He put his hand on Hux's, holding it there. The touch grounded him. Hux squeezed his fingers.

"Come on. Into the fresher with you," he told Kylo. "We'll get the droid to clean up in the meanwhile. Millie never sleeps on that thing anyway."

Once Kylo had washed up and brushed his teeth, he ensconced himself in Hux's arms on the bed. The Grand Marshal stroked his hair.

"Since you haven't called a med droid or threatened to murder the people who prepare our food," he said, "I'm assuming you know what's wrong."

"It's Techie," Kylo said. He felt Hux stiffen slightly in confusion. "What I saw, I mean. In his head. He... wasn't treated very well."

"No, I somehow didn't expect he had been," Hux murmured. "He was raped, I take it?"

"Yeah. I think I might need to... I don't know. Meditate."

"Sleep first, if you can." Hux kissed his forehead, a rare gesture of affection. "I'll be right here."

* * *

Hux woke early, as usual, and Kylo rolled over in bed to watch him as he pulled on his clothes.

"I've been thinking," Hux said, halfway into his jodhpurs. "We should try to find a psytech we can trust to stay quiet. I'm already putting out a search for someone who can custom-build synthetic eyes - apparently his existing neural connectors don't work with standard models - so I'll need you to sign off on the resources for that."

"You're really invested in keeping Techie comfortable, aren't you?" Kylo murmured. "No, I think it's cute," he added, when Hux shot him a glare. "It must be like having a little brother."

"If I had a little brother, my father would have left him on Arkanis to die. Or pit us against each other to weed out the weakest one." Hux smoothed down his tunic and checked his uniform in the mirror. "You seem fond of Techie, and it seems pointless not to indulge you."

"So you're saying you're doing this to make me happy?"

Hux didn't take the bait. "I don't care that you're happy. I care that you're efficient. Have a nice day, darling."

"You too."

Kylo's smile faded as Hux left. Neither of them had yet spoken about the events of the night before. They both tended to avoid vulnerability, Hux more than Kylo, and it was hard to think of a way to even open the "so I got rape flashbacks from somebody else's memories" conversation. There was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again.

Usually he'd try to sleep for a few more hours after Hux left, but Kylo had a feeling he wouldn't get much rest now, so he threw his clothes on and went out to check on Techie. The younger man was still in his bedroom, watching a propaganda holo. Sorry - a _recruitment_ holo. He looked engrossed. More than that - he looked enraptured, and his hand was moving underneath the sheets as if-

Oh. Oh _shit_. "Sorry!" Kylo barked, and backed out again.

He took a few moments to stare at the closed doors, processing all this. Had he really just caught Techie masturbating to footage of one of his speeches?

Kylo had seen a lot of _weird shit_ in his life, including but not limited to the contents of Snoke's personal holoporn stash, but none of his prior experiences had prepared him for this. What was he even supposed to do? Pretend it had never happened? Make him some breakfast? Ask him which part of the speech was his favourite? Okay, no, definitely not that. Anyway, Hux had written it so he didn't really care.

Techie solved the issue for him shortly. Kylo was readying a pot of caff when he emerged, dressed in the plain cadet's uniform Hux had given him. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it was an improvement on what he'd been wearing when Kylo first saw him, and if it weren't for the long hair tied back at the nape of his neck he could have passed for a fresh recruit.

"I, uh, I should apologise, Supreme Leader," he stuttered.

"I was the one who barged in. And you can, uh, call me Kylo when we're here."

"Kylo," Techie corrected. "Yeah. Sure. Um... is that caff? It... smells delicious."

The caff actually smelt like a Bantha's ass, in Kylo's opinion, but it made sense that Techie hadn't had much exposure to decent caff where he came from. Kylo offered him the pot.

"I didn't know the First Order was doing so much good in the galaxy," offered Techie, with a touch of wide-eyed awe.

"Uh, y... eah," said Kylo. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How do you still..." Kylo glanced down. "I mean after everything that... happened."

Techie stared at him. Kylo wondered if that had been an awkward question. He hurried on.

"I didn't mean physically. I meant after all the... trauma. Psychologically. If you don't mind me asking."

"Um..." Techie warmed his hands around the caff cup. "I guess I just got used to the trauma," he said finally, which Kylo found immensely depressing. "Not completely, of course. It's still there. And for a long time I couldn't even think about that kind of thing. But my body still has... has needs, so when they make themselves known, I just tend to get it over with as soon as possible."

Kylo made a mental note to check Techie in with a psytech as soon as possible.

"I saw something in your mind," he admitted. "About you and Caleb."

Techie's face flushed. He gazed into his caff.

"I guess you're asking if we were physically intimate? It's okay, I don't mind. But I can't even explain it myself, really," he said. "He was there, and I was there, and... I guess if taking comfort from someone else works, then... it works."

Kylo looked down at his own half-finished caff.

"I hope you're aware that nobody's going to hurt you like that, here," he said.

"I know. Grand Marshal Hux said that too." Techie swallowed. "Thank you."

Being thanked for something as baseline as 'not being a rapist' was troubling, but Kylo decided not to pursue that line of discussion. He chewed the inside of his mouth, thinking. Really, he should have been using this time to prep for today's strategy meeting, but the thought of leaving Techie alone all day to masturbate to his speeches suddenly felt a bit weird.

"So, hey," he blurted out, grasping for the first tech-related thing he could think of. "Want to help me run a diagnostic on our hospitality droid?"

Techie's face lit up. Despite himself, Kylo found himself smiling back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments! They brighten up my day! <3

"Hux," Kylo said to him, once they were both in bed again, "Would you fuck your clone?"

Hux looked up from his datapad and shot the Supreme Leader a glare.

"I hope you're not thinking what it _sounds_ like you're thinking, Ren."

"No." He was, but only a little bit, and it was nothing to do with this conversation. "I mean _he_ has. Techie."

"Ah. You mean he and Caleb-"

"Yeah." Kylo rolled onto his side and frowned at Hux. "I mean, we're assuming that neither he nor Caleb knew they were identical, but..."

"So what if they did?" Hux set the datapad down and looked back at him. "It's not like it's incest or something."

"You mean... you _would_?"

"Well, not Techie specifically. Or not right now, anyway." The Grand Marshal folded his hands on his own chest, staring pensively up at the ceiling as if he were considering a matter of serious strategic import. "You know he offered himself to me, while you were gone? Less than a week he's been here, we've _told_ him he's not a slave, and he still thinks he's obligated to spread his legs for us. Not exactly conducive to informed and enthusiastic consent."

"Okay, but you're saying that if those impediments didn't exist, you would _actually_ fuck your clone?"

"Of course I would." Hux looked at Kylo like he'd just grown an extra head. "Wouldn't you?"

"Probably not. I think I'd just piss myself off," Kylo admitted.

Hux laughed, and shifted so he was facing Kylo. "Well, lucky for you, I'm nothing like you," he said. His eyes, bright with teasing, took on a hint of cautious desire, and he reached for him, stroking a strand of dark hair behind Kylo's ear.

"Do you want to... maybe try again?" he asked quietly.

Kylo swallowed. He wanted to be close to Hux, but last night's incident had rattled him, and the thought of failing a second time didn't sit well. "I think I might need more time."

"What if I did something for you? It's alright if you'd... rather not," Hux added quickly, and Kylo could sense the anxiety beneath those words. He squeezed Hux's hand.

"It's nothing you've done," he said, giving voice to a fear that Hux had been trying to keep quiet. "I still _want_ you. I just don't want..."

"Don't want...?"

"Me," Kylo croaked. "I don't feel all that sexy right now."

Hux considered this for a moment. Then, with an expression that told Kylo he had moved into Efficient Problem-Solver mode, he flipped the covers off and sat up, stripping off his vest. "Alright," he said. "I'm not going to touch you without your permission. And the moment you want me to stop, I will."

"Okay," Kylo replied, cautious. Hux pulled off his briefs and assumed a loose cross-legged position, one leg tucked under him, one extended lazily, his cock already half-hard.

"For now, and for as long as you are comfortable, I just want you to watch," Hux said. He slid a hand down over his own chest, then his belly, teasing his pubic hair with his fingertips. "Does that sound good?"

Kylo could feel his own body responding already. "Yeah. That... does sound good."

"Excellent." Hux took his shaft in hand and started stroking, keeping his eyes on Kylo's all the while. The sight of him was attractive enough on its own - it wasn't the first time he'd seen Hux masturbate, and the experience never seemed to get old - but the fact that Hux was taking his needs into account so carefully, was trying to find a way for them to be intimate without making Kylo uncomfortable... it was sexy on a level that wasn't just physical.

Kylo didn't end up touching himself - he wasn't sure whether it would enhance the experience or ruin it - but he bit his own lip when Hux came, and kissed him deeply when he lay back to catch his breath.

It was only later, falling asleep with Hux curled up in his arms, that Kylo realized just how much he had looked, in that moment, like Techie.

* * *

Techie was already awake the next morning when Kylo emerged, playing with Millie in the living area. She was gradually beginning to forgive Techie for their first meeting, and had even deigned to allow him to scratch behind her ears.

Kylo observed the two as Hux gulped down his tea and followed it up with a protein bar. Cats, he knew, didn't rely entirely on facial recognition either; they recognized each other through scent and movement as well. As far as Kylo could tell, Millie had not at any point mistaken Techie for Hux or vice versa.

"Techie," Hux said, abruptly. "Would you give Kylo and myself a moment alone? There's something we need to discuss."

Techie seemed worried, but smiled anyway and went back into his room, Millie following close on his heels. Hux handed Kylo a datapad as soon as the younger man was gone.

"We've got a lead on the second clone. Same planet, different continent," he clipped. "I suggest one us leads the mission personally. I trust you can keep the Order from burning down while I'm away?"

Kylo glanced down at the datapad's screen. "Yeah, I'm gonna veto that. You setting foot on Persico while looking exactly like a slave who went missing a few weeks earlier does not strike me as the best idea."

"I can look after _myself_ , Kylo."

"You could still be recognized. I'll go." Kylo plucked the empty tea cup out of his hand. "Supreme Leader's orders. Besides, you can't read minds."

"I can read _yours_ fairly well," the Grand Marshal huffed. "But fine. I'll make the arrangements. You'll be gone for a few weeks. Take the Knights. A change of scenery might do them good."

It felt a little like being told to take the kids to the local play center on a rainy day, except with more arson. Kylo made a few quick mental calculations until the vision of rampant destruction and murder in his head had reduced to one of mild property damage and vandalism. "I might just take one knight. We don't want to be too visible."

"Well, then don't take Cardo. He'll burn down the whole kriffing sector if you're not careful."

"I'm taking Ap'lek. I was thinking I could assign one of the others to guard Techie while I was away - no, not Cardo. Obviously. How about Trudgen? Techie seems to like Trudgen."

"Techie _seems to like_ everyone. It's a defence mechanism. Could you perhaps suggest someone who doesn't routinely bathe in the blood of their slain enemies?"

That had been _one time_ , and even then, only for a joke. He'd tried explaining it to Hux previously but you probably had to have been there. "I'll see what I can do," Kylo said. "Have a nice day running the galaxy for me, baby."

"Have a nice day ruining it, darling," said Hux, who shrugged on his greatcoat before he left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not, this actually appears to have a plot now. I will not be taking questions.

The sky on Persico was bright and clear, and a pleasant warm breeze was blowing in from the desert that afternoon.

"Alright," Kylo said to Ap'lek, as they stood outside the makeshift compound to which their information had led them. "I know this sounds weird, but bear with me, okay? I'd like to try and kill as few people as possible. Maybe even... no people."

Ap'lek seemed skeptical, but he didn't protest. 

"Also, we may not want to burn this place down straight away. I'd like to try and get some information, if possible."

 _Sounds unconventional, but fine_ , Ap'lek replied telepathically. In many ways, he really was the most reasonable of all Kylo's nights. He even did normal person stuff, like wash his clothes and send out Life Day cards. The cards usually had cryptic threats scrawled inside in blood, but nobody was perfect.

They navigated small streets of ragged awnings and huts made of corrugated metal until they came to the parts shop where Caleb was apparently working. Inside, a tattooed Falleen was polishing a gun.

"We're looking for a human male," Kylo told him. "Orange hair. Slim. Do you know him?"

The man said nothing, only jerked his thumb behind him. Kylo and Ap'lek pushed the threadbare curtain aside. A young man with a scarf around his hair and a metal collar round his neck was scrubbing rust from scrap metal in the corner while an alien of indeterminate species hammered something on an anvil nearby. Kylo craned his head to get a better look at the former.

<<Want something?>> the alien rasped abruptly, in Sy Bisti.

"We're looking for a human named Caleb," Kylo said.

<<I don't know any Caleb. Piss off.>>

"You." Kylo decided to cut out the middle man (or slug, or whatever), and addressed his companion directly. "Look up."

The fact that Kylo knew this couldn't be Hux made it no less disturbing; it was as if the Grand Marshal himself was looking back at him. Kylo didn't feel like fucking around. "How much for your slave?" he asked the alien.

<<Fifty for an hour. Don't mark his face. I'll take that gun as deposit.>>

 _Seriously?_ Ap'lek sent.

 _New plan,_ Kylo replied. _We kill the Falleen and kick this dude until he tells us stuff._

_Excellent plan, Master._

One brief and invigorating murder session later, Kylo and Ap'lek were none the wiser as to the slave's origins. All they'd got from their careful interrogations was that he'd been purchased from a Jawa slave merchant twenty years ago. The young man in question was still cowering behind the anvil. Kylo moved to crouch down in front of him while Ap'lek cleaned blood off his shoes.

"It's alright," he told him. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The Hux-clone stared back at Kylo. After a moment, he cleared his throat and, in an accent remarkably different from Armitage's, said, "Okay. Thank you. Um - so I have a question about the - the choking thing you apparently did with your mind -"

"Are you Caleb?"

"If I say no, are you going to kill me?"

"No."

There was a long hesitation.

"Yes. I am definitely Caleb," the clone lied.

"Try again."

"My friends call me Stensy?"

"Good enough." Kylo stood up, brushing something sticky off his tunic. "You're coming with us. Do you happen to know anyone else who looks exactly like you?"

"Actually, I'm probably not the best-placed person to answer that," Stensy replied, as he scrambled to follow, clearly not too worried about the risks associated with following these two blood-splattered lightsaber-wielding thugs who'd just killed everyone else in the immediate vicinity. "I have a condition called-"

"-prosopagnosia. Of course you do. Don't worry about it. So, you asked about the choking thing?"

* * *

"More clones?" blustered Hux, over the holochannel. Kylo could see Techie playing with Millie in the background.

"Seems so," Kylo replied. "Stensy has no memory of anyone with Techie's description, so it's not just a case of name confusion. You want us to do a few more sweeps, keep this one on the ship for a while?"

"No - it's clear we'll have to organize a more thorough search, now, and I expect even Ap'lek has his limits when it comes to not burning things. I trust you were able to retrieve the clone with minimum casualties and property damage?"

"Y...eah," replied Kylo, discreetly blotting away some of the blood on his tunic sleeve. "So, interesting fact: this one can't make sense of faces either."

Hux frowned, and furrowed his brow. "Some kind of error in the cloning process?"

"Not sure. You'd have to ask a neuroscientist. Do we have any of those or should I kidnap one on the way back?"

"Please _do not kidnap any more scientists_. The Order's researchers should be quite sufficient. Oh, speaking of, Techie's new eye implants have been installed. All quite successful, no complications."

"I'm looking forward to seeing them. Love you."

"Don't get soppy with me on an encrypted military channel. I expect you back here on schedule."

Kylo blew a kiss at him before the channel cut out.


	7. Chapter 7

After Kylo departed for his mission, life for Techie became almost boring. Not that he minded overmuch. Boring was better than painful and frightening. Besides, Hux had signed him up for some remote courses on engineering, to get him up to date with the Order's tech, and Millie was usually up for a scritch or two now they'd got over the initial bump in their relationship.

Hux himself worked long hours, so there were long stretches of time where Techie had only the cat and one of the Knights to keep him company. There were two who seemed to be taking alternate shifts, Kuruk and Vicrul; day or night, one of them would be skulking around the living area, polishing a weapon or stalking back and forth in a manner Millicent seemed to find highly perturbing. In a way, their presence helped cement Techie's relationship with the chubby ginger cat, since she was less inclined to sleep on the sofa and more inclined to come into Techie's room seeking attention.

It was a quiet existence, if also a little lonely. When Hux did eventually find the time to have dinner with Techie, the younger man leapt at the chance. He noticed Hux rubbing uncomfortably at his own neck during their meal, and couldn't help but offer to massage it once they were done. Hux paused, eyeing him.

"I've told you before, you don't need to do that," he said gently. Techie shook his head.

"I actually did mean just a massage," he said. "I used to do it for clients, sometimes. People would tell me I was good with my hands. I just thought it could... help."

"It won't feel... odd, to do that for me?"

"It would feel more odd to sit around and do nothing." Techie offered him a smile. "I like to be useful."

"You _are_ useful," Hux replied, and there was something sad in the Grand Marshal's voice that Techie couldn't quite put his finger on. "Yes. Alright. Fine. Thank you. That would be... nice."

Techie came around behind him once they'd finished eating and gently loosened Hux's collar so he could get at the skin. It was smoother and healthier than his own, which was still pallid and marred with various scars; Techie could even feel some tone in the muscles, although they were every bit as tense and knotted as he'd expected.

From this angle, it was hard not to think of Caleb. Techie found himself biting back a sigh. Even the warmth of his skin was familiar, and he couldn't help the way his hands lingered on either side of Hux's neck when he was done.

"Thank you," Hux said, quietly. He twisted his head to look back at Techie, his expression considerably more relaxed than before.

"It's alright." Techie gave him a tiny smile.

When he returned to his room, there was an unsettled feeling in his stomach, and he found himself unable to stop thinking about the way Hux's skin had felt under his hands. He knew already that he was attracted to Kylo Ren - a fact that Kylo unfortunately knew as well, to Techie's embarrassment - but his feelings for Hux were impossible to untangle from his his memories of Caleb.

Sleep eluded him that night as he tried and failed to stop picturing Hux and Kylo taking him in their arms, lavishing kisses over his flesh, bringing him to orgasm with gentle touches and soft whispers. It wouldn't have been so bad, but his mind couldn't seem to differentiate between Hux and Caleb; the two kept switching places, and it was distracting enough that his own hand could give him little relief. Finally, he yanked on some clothes and wandered into the sitting room. 

The lights were low. Kuruk was polishing part of a disassembled rifle which had been laid out on the caff table, and the room smelt comfortingly of oil and metal. He didn't look up when Techie sat down on the adjacent sofa.

"Hi," said Techie.

Kuruk looked up at him silently.

"Can I ask you a question?"

The Knight remained silent. Techie wasn't sure whether that meant yes or no, and after a minute or so he found himself anxiously chewing on his own hair. Finally, that inscrutable black helmet dipped in a nod.

"Do-" Techie bit his lip. "Do you ever take that mask off?"

Kuruk stared at him for one long moment. Techie felt a strange tingling in the back of his head, similar to the time Kylo had examined his thoughts. Then, unexpectedly, the Knight began to detach his helmet.

The man was human - that much he could tell - and his close-cropped hair was black and tightly-curled. His skin was dark. As always, Techie's gaze skipped from feature to feature, identifying eyes, nose and lips but retaining no detail of the whole.

"Oh," murmured Techie. "I guess you do."

Kuruk smirked and then returned his gaze to the rifle. Techie sat there quietly for a while, watching him work.

"Can I see that?" he asked abruptly, pointing. Kuruk considered this. At length, he picked up the detached barrel and handed it to Techie, who examined it. "Why do you have a sniper rifle with no scope?"

When Kuruk finally spoke, his voice was softer than Techie would ever have expected. He even had an Imperial accent, like Hux. "Don't need a scope when I have the Force."

"I still don't really understand what that is. I thought it was a myth."

"No reason it can't be." Kuruk reached out to take the scope back. "Doesn't mean it can't also be real."

Techie maintained eye contact as his hand brushed against Kuruk's. The Knight stopped.

"I'm on duty," he said.

"When you're finished, then." Suddenly, there were tears in Techie's eyes, and he did not understand why. "Please."

Kuruk held his gaze.

"This won't put you back together, little one," he told him, finally. "Go to sleep."


End file.
